2026 Spring Commencement Ceremony
Today, when the mimosa flower, which symbolizes gratitude and friendship, heralds the arrival of spring, a total of 1,673 students--1,265 undergraduates and 408 graduate students--are setting out on their journeys from the University of Hyogo.
On behalf of the university, I extend my heartfelt congratulations and respect to all the graduates and program completers who have navigated this turbulent and uncertain era with unwavering effort, overcoming various trials to reach this joyous day.
Throughout your university life, as you engaged in the challenging work of seeking truth and weaving hopes for the future, you were never alone. Please share the joy of graduating and moving on to the next stage of your education, as well as your sense of relief, with your families and those around you--who have always encouraged you and eagerly awaited your growth--with a heart full of gratitude.
Many distinguished guests have joined us today to celebrate, including Mr. Motohiko Saito, Governor of Hyogo Prefecture, and Mr. Yasuomi Otoyo, Vice Chair-person of the Hyogo Prefectural Assembly. I would like to express my gratitude once again to our distinguished guests and to the local community members who have supported our students.
Now, the world around us is at a major turning point, marked by the rapid advancement of information science and technology--represented by AI--as well as intensifying conflicts and confrontations worldwide, and the global biodiversity crisis.
DX (Digital Transformation) has completely transformed the social environment around us and fundamentally revolutionized the nature of education. AI is becoming the new operating system underpinning society, penetrating every sphere and beginning to challenge human supremacy.
While DX has opened new possibilities for participatory democracy, it has also given rise to deepfakes that make it difficult to distinguish between reality and fiction, hallucinations that fabricate facts, and malicious hate speech directed at those who are different from oneself, fostering social intolerance and division.
Take responsibility for your own words. Thoughtless words can hurt people's hearts. To avoid being swept away by self-righteous, unverifiable claims, please continue to cultivate the ability to think flexibly: think logically, judge critically, and propose alternatives from a lateral, innovative perspective.
Without even mentioning places like Ukraine, Iran, Gaza, and Darfur, intensifying conflicts around the world are producing countless victims and refugees, leading to the deepening and prolongation of humanitarian crises. Economic growth and the uneven distribution of wealth in the Global South have also increased the pressure of migration toward the North.
On January 20 of this year, at the World Economic Forum held in Davos, Switzerland, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Joseph Carney spoke about the breakdown of the world order, quoting the adage of the ancient Greek historian Thucydides: "The strong can do what they can, and the weak must suffer what they must."
The disregard for the rule of law, the shift toward peace through power, and the "National Interest First" mentality epitomized by tariff wars are fueling the rise of exclusionary chauvinism, which is now crashing like a storm against universities that have championed diversity and promoted DEIA (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility).
Turning our attention to the global environment, large-scale weather disasters--the kind that occur only once in a century--are becoming more frequent. Combined with tectonic shifts causing massive damage, these events are eroding the foundations of our lives and society. While efforts toward GX (Green Transformation), centered on carbon neutrality, are progressing, the realization of the 1.5°C pledge to halt rising temperatures remains distant, and the Earth is boiling.
I hope that each and every one of you, as global citizens, will take an interest in these challenges. With the SDGs' motto "No one left behind" in your hearts, and armed with the comprehensive knowledge and practical experience cultivated through your studies at our university, I hope you will take action to create new value and hope.
It is often said that friends made during one's university years become lifelong friends. Dante Alighieri, the poet and philosopher from the 13th-century city-state of Florence, wrote in his magnum opus *The Banquet*: "Without friends, we cannot live a complete life." Please continue to cherish your fellow students and every fleeting encounter, and work together and support one another as you move forward. When times are difficult and painful, have the courage to rely on others.
We at the University of Hyogo will also continue to fulfill our role as a pioneer of social reform--to become a space of academic knowledge trusted by the region and recognized globally, and to be an alma mater of which you can be proud. We will connect with academic institutions worldwide, uphold academic freedom and harmony, and nurture young people who are responsible for the future of our planet, who can build bridges rather than walls between people, and stand by others and share their pain.
The bond between you and the university does not end with graduation or completion of your program. The university is a home you can always return to. As a multi-generational campus spanning the entire prefecture, we will support you as you continue learning throughout your lives in this era of "100-year lifespans," providing opportunities for lifelong learning, retraining, and reskilling. Please keep in mind the proverb from Job 28 in the Old Testament: "Wisdom is better than pearls."
Finally, I would like to share a passage from a speech delivered in July 1896 by Helen Adams Keller--who was born in Alabama, lost her sight and hearing as a young child, and became an advocate for the rights of people with disabilities--at the American Association to Promote the Teaching of Speech to the Deaf. I offer this as my own words of congratulations and farewell.
"Remember, no effort that we make to attain something beautiful is ever lost. Sometime, somewhere, somehow we shall find that which we seek."
Even if you have to wait, pause, or take a detour, never give up on moving forward.
Wishing you a wonderful journey ahead!
May your days be filled with joy and radiance. May you transform the fresh breeze into mighty wings and soar ever higher and farther through the blue sky.
26 March 2026
President, University of Hyogo
Makoto KOSAKA